American Is Fatally Shot in Saudi Arabia

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Two American employees of a United States military contractor were shot on Tuesday, one fatally, by a recently dismissed Saudi-American colleague at a gas station in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, the Interior Ministry reported.

The shooting, which appeared to be workplace-related, came amid heightened concern about possible reprisal attacks by Islamic militants against the United States and Saudi Arabia, which are collaborating in a military coalition against the Islamic State, the extremist group that has seized parts of Syria and Iraq.

Saudi security forces rushed to the scene of the shooting, where they exchanged fire with the gunman before wounding him and taking him into custody, American and Saudi officials said.

The Saudi Embassy in Washington released a statement from the Interior Ministry that identified the assailant as Abdulaziz Fahad Abdulaziz Alrashid, 24, a dual Saudi-American citizen who had been “recently dismissed from his job due to drug-related issues.”

The statement said Mr. Alrashid, born in Washington State, had traveled to Bahrain, France, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, the United States and most recently to Bahrain, this month.

“The investigation is ongoing, and the relevant authorities will reveal details as they emerge,” the statement concluded.

Jen Psaki, the State Department spokeswoman, said in a statement that the Americans were employees of Vinnell Arabia, an American military contractor supporting Saudi National Guard military programs in Riyadh.

Ms. Psaki said the gas station was about half a mile from the Vinnell Arabia base in Riyadh and about 20 miles from the United States Embassy.

“We are in close contact with the Saudi government as we continue to gather details about the shooting and motive,” Ms. Psaki said. “We are in the process of evaluating our security posture and will take appropriate steps to ensure the safety of all U.S. Mission personnel.”

Saudi Arabia’s monarchy has long had close ties with Washington. But anti-Western sentiments are strong among parts of the Saudi population, and the kingdom has experienced domestic terrorist attacks over the years. At the same time, hundreds of Saudi citizens have traveled to Iraq and Syria to join jihadist militant groups there, raising fears that they could return to carry out attacks at home.

Ms. Psaki said the embassy in Riyadh was issuing a security advisory to American citizens in the country to “advise them on the situation and any safety precautions they should take.”

Such messages, she said, “are regularly issued by embassies and consulates abroad to provide timely and important safety and security information to U.S. citizens living or traveling in their districts.”